The John W. Engeman Theater returns after a much anticipated wait, debuts Summer Concert series

Through classical and contemporary performances of beloved musicals, the John W. Engeman Theater has come to symbolize the magnetism of Northport, attracting both outsiders and lifelong residents alike. When many think of Northport, an image of those inky block letters and radiant marquee immediately come to mind. Then, on March 15, 2020, the marquee became dull and the block letters spoke volumes: “See You Soon,” they read.

Just three days earlier, Broadway – NYC’s analogous symbol of strength and magnetism – closed all its productions until April 12, 2020. This tentative deadline has continued to be pushed back, with the latest date of reopening scheduled for September 14, 2021.

The saga of the pandemic-ridden Engeman Theater is similar to that of Broadway. In mid-March, when Governor Andrew Cuomo restricted all businesses deemed non-essential, the Engeman Theater pushed their March 2020 season of Sister Act until April 12, then May 3. When the pandemic showed no signs of relenting, the Engeman Theater had no choice but to cancel their entire season. In June, the production of Sister Act was moved a year ahead to March of 2021, in hopes the air might have cleared by then.

As Covid-19 cases were only beginning to digress following their monstrous January swell, the Engeman Theater yet again had to cancel an entire season of production. A glimmer of hope did come, however, in the form of a federal grant pushed by Congressman Thomas Souzzi and Senator Chuck Schumer, called the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG). Through the U.S. Small Business Administration, the SVOG included over “$16 billion in grants to shuttered venues.”

Possible applicants for the SVOG included “live venue operators,” “theatrical producers,” and “live performing arts operators.” Such applicants could use their allotted grants toward rent, payroll, utility, maintenance, insurance, and other such necessities.

On the John Engeman Theater’s YouTube channel, owner Kevin O'Neill praised the SVOG, stating, “[the SVOG] throws a lifeline to live venues like ours all across the country… It’s a very comprehensive, well-thought-out plan that gives the live venue industry the lifeline it really needs to get back to where we need to be.”

In addition, guidance from Governor Cuomo came shortly after, allowing in-person venues to open with 33% capacity, up to 100 occupants. Despite the financial bone thrown to live venues like Northport’s hometown theater, O'Neill, in the same video, stressed this was not the end of their anxiety. “Our theater holds 400 people,” he said. “We’re not going to be doing one of our productions with 100 people in the audience, it doesn’t work economically… We want to wait until a better time to open at the standards we are accustomed to.”

With the acknowledgment that theater and social distancing are diametrically opposed, the staff of the John Engeman Theater had to concoct a showing that was both community-centered and safe, economically viable and undoubtedly entertaining: thus was born the Summer Concert Series.

Held Thursday through Sunday until August 29, the Engeman Theater’s Summer Concert Series is a cornucopia of lone, single-night productions, ranging from stand-up comedy to the tunes of Neil Diamond.

O'Neill, speaking to News 12 Long Island, described the Summer Concert Series as a wide array of different performances. “It’s a one-off type of thing, where we felt it was a good way to put our toe back in the water,” he said. “It’s a very exciting time for us.... We were the first to close, the last to open; the time has come to open the theater.”

Browsing the upcoming events listed on the Engeman Theater’s website, every taste of entertainment under the sun is covered: comedy; a folk trio reminiscent of Peter, Paul, and Mary; a tribute to Michael Bublé; the music of the Jersey Boys, Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, and Broadway show tunes. Especially noteworthy to the summer lineup is Adam Pascal, a member of the original cast of the Broadway smash Rent. Pascal will be performing “a retrospective of the last 25 years on Broadway… from Rent and Aida up through Something Rotten and Pretty Woman,” told through both story and song.

Though 18 months and a relentless virus attempted to soften the mystique of the Engeman Theater, Northport remains connected to this community staple. As its marquee once told you, the John W. Engeman Theater will see you soon – very soon.